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Posts Tagged ‘Listener’

Proloquo2Go: Assistive communication for the iPhone and iPod touch

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

Proloquo2Go [iTunes Link] is not your usual iPhone/iPod touch app. It turns the mobile device into a full augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. According to the AAC Institute, an estimated 2.5 million Americans are speech disabled to the extent that they experience significant difficulty being understood by other people. Reasons vary, but are often the result of congenital illness or ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). 75% of people using AAC devices have ALS.

One alternative is learning how to use sign language, but that requires both adequate sensory motor ability of the user and a knowledge of sign language expected in the listener. It’s a solution that helps some, but not all.

When signing is not available or appropriate, using an AAC device may well be. AAC devices use combinations of symbols, words, sounds and technology to allow people without functional vocal abilities to communicate. The cost of such devices range from around US$3,500 to US$8,500 for something about the size of a Speak and Spell.

In contrast, the Proloquo2Go app has a price of US$189.99. If someone is in the market for an AAC system, it is one of the biggest bargains in the entire App Store for any iPhone or iPod touch running OS 2.1 or higher.

Proloquo2Go took the uncommon route of using existing hardware to run a complex AAC system. It’s nearly impossible to describe the use of the system through words, though I’ll try, but I’d suggest you check out some detailed videos walking you through the process in some depth.

Continue reading Proloquo2Go: Assistive communication for the iPhone and iPod touch

TUAWProloquo2Go: Assistive communication for the iPhone and iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grooveshark Launches Subscription VIP Service

Not to be outdone by recent announcements from streaming music site Spotify, Gainesville-based Grooveshark announced a $3 per month or $30 per year ad-free Grooveshark VIP service. Grooveshark VIP offers users early access to development pipeline releases including early testing on the upcoming Grooveshark iPhone application and early August 24th access to Grooveshark 2 – the site’s next generation. In addition to offering users WordPress and Facebook integration, Grooveshark spokesperson Josh Bonnain laid down some key differences between Spotify and Grooveshark.

Sponsor

Bonnain went on to explain that Grooveshark’s subscription services cost less than a quarter of Spotify’s monthly fees, and will offer many of the same features. For instance, both services stream ad-free music and both allow members to connect and discover premium content. Nevertheless Bonnain points out, “We’re in 231 countries, we’re web-based and our users can upload their entire catalogue to our site. Spotify requires users to install it on every machine they own and they’re only available in a few countries.”

Additionally, Bonnain went on to point out the Grooveshark artists community and quiet honestly, we were thrilled to discover it. Beyond the fantastic experience of the music discovery engine and the listener-focused features of the site, Grooveshark actually has a Bandcamp-style service for artists to promote themselves.

The Artist Dashboard allows bands to track their most popular songs, fan favorite play lists and measure play counts. Additionally, Grooveshark also allows bands to sell merchandise via Junkytees and TuniPop, license music via Creative Commons, land deals via YouLicense and crowdsource album funding via SellABand.

Within the artist’s environment, Grooveshark monetizes its service by offering musicians a chance to have their music advertised and played alongside similar bands. With more than 7 million tracks in its catalogue, the company is effectively leveraging its size and existing audience to make a case as the premier destination for artist promotion. Artists can expect to see their tracks in community playlists and distributed via widgets, links and soon, through mobile playlists.

While Spotify’s iPhone application has received a ton of buzz for its ability to play cached music streams, Grooveshark also has an iPhone application in the works. While the app’s current iteration does not allow for offline play, Bonnain assures ReadWriteWeb that the feature is in the mobile developer pipeline and it won’t cost $15 a month to try it when it arrives.

While both Grooveshark and Spotify’s premium subscription programs are in their infancy, it will be interesting to see which service will find the right features and licensing partnerships to come out on top.

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